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Another fabulously mediocre Pagan Pride Day behind me. I’m not sure at this point why people even bother, it’s got to be a lot of work on the part of the coordinators and the vendors – all seven of them – that show up. Even as a lifelong Pagan ( a moniker I don’t especially like, but use for convenience) I’m bored to tears by Pagan Pride Days, even the term makes me cringe. I usually skip them all together, being that in my area it’s an overblown affair that usually ends up being a get together by the same handful of Pagans that attend every local event, but this year I thought I’d do something different and attempt to participate.

I was thinking to myself one day that perhaps the lameness of our local PPD has to do with the fact that no one (including myself) cares to put themselves out there and actually try and make it great (I did wholeheartedly enjoy our first local PPD in 2006, one that my Grove sponsored). I put my money where my mouth is and volunteered to conduct a discussion this year, a small workshop on the Runes and the wisdom they reveal about Self,Community, and Society. Now before I get to that, for years I’ve been giving workshops on several topics; Tarot Magic(k), Rune lore; Norse Mythology, Sigil Magic(K)…but in the last few years I’ve stopped because the apathetic nature of our community to participate in meaningful practice is just that, very disappointing, and participation continues to go down. I think that, in the last few years, Pagans/Occultists/Magicians have also suffered from the disease of the virtual society/community that in modern culture seeks to keep us all glued to the computer screen instead of making real connections. Also this disease, IMO, has made the idea of knowledge common, in that people think they aren’t missing anything by not going to hear someone speak or to experience something in the real world instead of through text or video. I have news for you my fellow Occultists, the wisdom of experience cannot be expressed through the filter of Facebook – it has to be bestowed, offered, and earned; you may actually need to get off your ass and actually do the work, seek out that knowledge, and put it to use. In the end Magic(K) is a verb, it’s not a thing that exists for you to manipulate, it’s an action that is done, a practice that is practiced, and a skill that is developed.

Anyway so that brings me to the crux of this post. When the time for my discussion came, not a soul showed up; not a single person showed interest. Now this doesn’t upset me, because I’ve come to expect this from our community – more-so I was disappointed in myself for getting the material ready and thinking that somehow my participation and my sacrifice of time would be appreciated. I tend to be liked in our community and don’t create waves among groups, I like to think that I’m considered as someone sincere about his practice, and knowledgeable about certain subjects. And even then I saw this coming, but I hoped it would be different. As a result however, I ended up having a nice day with some old Grove-mates instead that I hadn’t seen in a few years, friends that had come specifically to hear my simple little discussion. Instead of giving my talk to the grass and trees we left the PPD behind and went to have dinner where we discussed many things including a bit of the lore I would have shared with the wider community.

My attempt at this wider participation, when I have purposefully, in the last few years, left group work and much of the local Pagan community behind, maybe on a different level was meant to be a reminder about the importance of smaller connections. Time and time again, the local Pagan community in my city lets me down…and I’m reminded why others who were once very active, myself included, are missing in action.

My experience is that the body and the human mind/spirit are the primary vehicles through which awareness is expanded and manipulated. Gods,Entities, Spirits, Ancestors, or whatever you wish to call external archetypes/thought forms can help – but all of the tools necessary to develop ourselves internally and externally are part of the human experience. Beyond religious dogma and mythology we have the inherent ability to extend our perception and exacerbate our own spiritual evolution.

In the spirit of that idea another personal meditative practice of mine incorporates the Cauldrons of Poesy. The Cauldrons of Poesy hypothesis comes from the 7th century, probably earlier but that’s when it was written down; it’s a Celtic idea revealing that each person has three Cauldrons/Wells of inspiration that exist within. These Cauldrons turn and overturn, fill-up and empty depending on the persons disposition and life challenges. I would recommend reading the poem which documents their function, but to understand or practice this meditation it isn’t necessary.

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The Practice

The goal with this meditation is to turn the Cauldrons upright. The intent is to fill the Cauldrons one by one with light or with the water of inspiration and have them feed and flow into one another. When this is accomplished you will feel an intense energetic fire originating from the internal location of the Cauldron. This idea plays well with my Runic and Odian practices as Odin is the master of Inspiration and the Runes are a system through which Inspired wisdom is gained, Wells/vessels/cauldrons also play a large and important role in Norse cosmology. The lore of Odroerir, poetic excitation and deep occult wisdom gained from Kvasir also come to mind. The CoP idea is also, obviously, derived from Celtic sources and therefore, perhaps, historically may have been utilized by the Paleo-Pagan Celts, or at least understood in some fashion and sits well with the spirit of Druid Revivalism.

The first Cauldron is the Cauldron of Warming (incubation) and is located in the area of the belly. This Cauldron is fundamental to Health and Body Constitution, and in a healthy person is upright, in the sick it is turned and unable to refill or hold its contents properly.

The second Cauldron is the Cauldron of Motion (Doing or Vocation) and is located in the chest. This Cauldron is said to be turned on its side in most people, but fills and moves upright as artistic mastery or creativity is achieved or sought.

The third Cauldron is the Cauldron of Wisdom and is located in the head. This Cauldron is upside down in everyone, but turns as one learns and develops ones reasoning and gains knowledge. I understand this Cauldron as being filled when a person uses knowledge patiently, applying wisdom and experience gained from life lessons, wisdom that usually comes via introspection, reading, studying, or the challenges of personal development.

Being that I work within a Runic paradigm I associate Runes with each of the Cauldrons. Laguz is associated with the Cauldron of Warming, Eiwhaz with Motion and Raidho with Warming. Why do I associate these Runes with the Cauldrons? These three represent the three worlds for me; Underworld, Midworld, and Upper World. You could certainly associate Ogham or even Tarot symbolism with the Cauldrons, or simply use the cauldrons on their own. I merely use Runes because they hold the lessons of the Cauldrons within them nicely, they are not meant to supersede the Cauldrons power but only to summarize it. I visualize the Cauldron as either bearing the Rune on it’s side or reflecting the Rune in its waters or light once it’s filled.

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The Meditation

+ Get into your usual mediation posture, whatever that may be. Achieve a state of calm and relaxed breathing. Your breathing should be seen as coming up from your feet or originating in the belly, filling the belly first then the lungs. The out breath exits as normal through the head.

+ As you breath become aware that with each breath your groin relaxes, the lower muscles of the abdomen also relax the more you breath and you come to realize that the earth supports you. You no longer need to hold your tension in this area, but you are allowed to relax it and the belly region. As you breath through the following steps the earth will supply some of the energy to fill the Cauldrons, but not all, you should utilize the earth to kickstart the process but not sustain it.

+ The Cauldron of Warming > You will begin to visualize the Cauldron in the belly, seeing it as upright but empty. The more you relax the belly and abdomen region it will begin to fill with Light or with Inspiration, with each breath the volume increases. This may be a slow process, but as you fill it and your breath becomes more pronounced in the belly region, you will begin to feel the Fires of Being ignite and intensify in the region.

+ Once the Cauldron of Warming is filled the light will spill over and up into the middle of the chest where you will begin to visualize the existence of the next Cauldron.

+ The Cauldron of Motion > You will begin to visualize the Cauldron in the chest. Your breathing now should begin in the belly and rise smoothly into the chest and out with very little effort. As you breath you are still fueling the Cauldron of Warming, but now that it is full the Light/Inspiration spills upward to fill the Cauldron of Motion. As the Cauldron of Motion becomes more concrete you should feel the Light or essence of Inspiration begin to coalesce within the vessel. As with the Cauldron of Warming it should flower with radiance and the Fire of Being and be physically felt. Take your time filling it don’t rush, allow your breath to enliven the area with energy and life. Stay at this step as long as it takes to feel the Cauldron come to life, or just to enjoy the energy.

+ The Cauldron of Wisdom > Begin to visualize the Cauldron in the head. Your breathing should now be a steady stream, a rythm that should be steady and calm. We still breath into the belly fueling the Cauldron of Warming, which spills upward into the Cauldron of Motion, and now overspills into Cauldron of Wisdom. As it spills upward the Cauldron in our head takes shape and the energy begins to fill it as well. Again, don’t rush allow the energy to spill from one Cauldron to the next, and enjoy the effervescent feeling that comes from sitting, breathing, and living.

+ Once you have enjoyed the cycle of filling the cauldrons and the Cauldron of Wisdom is filled the overspill will exit out the top of the head. With each out breath the life essence/Inspiration will flow out of the head like a fountain of light. You can either see it as showering over the body and covering the body with light and energy, or it can spill up into the cosmos marrying earth and sky which each breath.

+ Ending the meditation begins by no longer filling the Cauldrons. No longer are you pulling energy from the earth or from your base, the Cauldrons are full and they no longer feed each other. Stop the flow of energy from the head and see the energy as being retained internally. I’d recommend to touch your forehead to the ground to actively ground the self and cutoff the expelling of energy, this is a very effective way to eliminate energy drain and keep your power/energy/Life essence internalized.

+ Take a few breaths once you open your eyes and think upon what you accomplished. The Cauldrons should be remembered as being upright and filled with your Life essence/Inspiration.

In John Michael Greer’s The Celtic Golden Dawn, a simple ritual is presented utilizing the Awen as a replacement for the Cabbalistic Cross section of the LBRP. The version presented in the book (page 31) is an inspired bit of Celtified occult wisdom that replaces the Golden Dawn/Hermetic ritual with Celtic names and phrases. Even though I enjoyed Greer’s Celtic Golden Dawn creation I found it far too heavily inspired by the Hebrew Cabbala for my taste and stopped after working my way through the Ovate Grade.

However, being the Druish sort of fellow I am I still use the Awen attunement/empowerment ritual with a slight twist. By substituting the Celtic words and phrases for more Odian ones I can marry my Runic religious work with my Druish eco-occult philosophy.

My Awen empowerment rite

Keep in mind that Greer’s Awen or ‘Rite of the Rays’ version of the Cabbalastic Cross is identical in spirit to the Golden Dawn version; the occultist is trying to empower herself and attune to the powers within and without. This practice can be done as a daily empowering yogic performance or as a beginning and/or end to ritual or meditation.

Stand facing North (or East). Achieve a state of calm and begin to imagine yourself as large and towering into the sky. Raise hands above your head and reach for the glowing essence of the sky.

Bring hands down to the crown of your head bringing between them the cosmic power of the sun and sky, moon and stars. Vocalize “Muninn” as the light falls into the crown of your head.

Bring hands down before your forehead, the light follows your movement filling your head, thumbs barely touch the skin. Vocalize “Lyke” as the light cascades down to your feet and into the ground.

Extend your right arm down and slightly diagonal away from the body. Vocalize “Odhr” as the light in your head flows down to your hand and beyond.

Extend your left arm down and diagonal away from the body. Vocalize “Ond” as the light in your head flows down to your hand and beyond.

Bring your arms up to cross your chest. Vocalize “Huginn” as you marry the cosmic power within your arms and body igniting the internal self in radiance.

Sweep the hands back down diagonally and end by Vocalizing “Odin” once, twice, or three times.

Take some time to digest what you’ve done and experienced. Three breaths usually is enough to end this practice with respect for yourself and the energies.

What does it mean? This practice brings you in touch with several Odian views and energies.

Muninn means Memory and is one of Odin’s ravens. To the Runester Muninn is a matrix of lore and mystery, ancient wisdom that bubbles with Rune knowledge. Even though in this practice the wisdom is coming from above it should be perceived as coming from the multiverse and therefore all around us from all points of perception.

Lyke (Leek) is the body, the sacred vessel of existence, sometimes associated with a Ve or a sacred area. This is one of the gifts given to man by Odin in his tripartite form as Vili-Ve-Odin or Lodhur- Hoenir – Odin. Ve (Lodhur) gifted the physical body to man to understand and interact with the worlds.

Odhr is thought to be the force of inspiration, the fury of being. This was given by Vili (Hoenir) to man and is the root of the name Odin. Odin is the god of furious wisdom and inspiration – we too were given that power.

Ond is the divine spark of life the breath of existence. This was given by Odin to man.

Huginn means mind (will) and is Odin’s other raven. Very simply Huginn is the will of the occultist. Muninn comes from above moving downward, Huginn comes from below and within moving upward.

This act is a powerful realization that the Runester embodies the nature of Odin and is not a subservient recipient of these life gifts but is instead a powerful ally and partner in the unfolding of the multiverse. The Runester is not a worshiper of Odin per-say but through acts such as this is seeking to walk the same roads as Odin and establish her own Will by winning Rune wisdom.

If one wishes to take this Awen/Odian empowerment further the occultist can imbue the practice mentally with Runes as well. The Lyke stage can be likened to the Aett of Fehu (Fehu-Wunjo); the Odhr stage to the Hagal Aett (Hagal-Sowilo); the Ond stage to the Tyr Aett (Tyr-Odal). I see the Runes extending within my body into the respective area of attention > The body, the right arm, the left arm from top to bottom.

This form of body attunement can offer much in the way of meditation and ongoing speculation. Try it for a few days and see how you like it.

I thought with this post I would continue my exploration of the Dragonlance Tarot. Again this Tarot is not for sale, and was not meant to be a profitable venture. It was meant merely as a way for me to investigate the lessons gleaned from a world of good, evil, and neutrality; heroism, courage, and villainy.

In the Dragonlance Tarot Cups have been transformed into Orbs and the Court is controlled by Mages and Clerics. This choice reflects the intuitive nature of magic and the inner work that allows for the healing of others via communion with the gods. Orbs also play a central part in the themes and plots of the ‘Chronicles’ story arc functioning as a metaphysical bridge for self (personal power), the Krynn cosmos, and the near immortal essence of the dragons within the setting.

In the card image Crysania is accompanied by Tandar, her protector and unbeknownst to her a former trusted ally turned tiger, Valin. Crysania is blind, a metaphor which heightens the aspects of intuition found within the Orbs suit; the Queen of Orbs/Cups is a woman of heightened inner awareness. She may be prone to strong visions, but not controlled by them. Crysania is the highest Cleric/Priestess of Paladine and able to mitigate the lessons of her god with the inner lessons of her intuitive wisdom. A crescent moon also appears in the background further acknowledgement that the Orbs signify a inner wisdom and intuition.

Golden Dawn title from Book T – The Daughter of the Firmament, the Dweller between the Waters

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” Dog-Star, or Sirius, also called fantastically the Star of the Magi.”(1)

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Here we see Guerrand DiThon standing before the gates of the Lost Citadel, a repository for the wisdom of Magic(K) beyond the material plane.

If we look at the DL Tarot and the Waite-Smith Tarot side by side we see some interesting similarities. The mountain imagery, the stars, the fog and water. The Wizard, Guerrand carries a staff ( a wizards staff is the symbol of marrying Above and Below, Earth and Sky) and the woman carries jugs of water, one foot on land the other in the pond, symbolizing the knowledge of elemental workings and of standing in two worlds at once. The Lost Citadel is only accessible during the Night of the Eye, when all three moons are imposed upon on another and inhabit the same spot in the sky; there is an order to things that must be adhered to in order to gain Magic(K)al insight.

Waite associated the Star with the Sephirah Binah and therefore with the Mother of All, the matrix that informs all creation (2). The Lost Citadel is also an enclosure of great wisdom, a place set aside by the gods of magic to safeguard the lessons and laws of Magic(K). Both cards remind us that ultimate knowledge demands a journey of a lifetime, a journey of Hope and Aspiration, and the realization that the Truth may be unattainable or beyond the comprehension of the seeker.

The King of Swords is defined by the phrase Force of Will. He is not merely a warrior, but a man of mental alacrity and cunning. Sturm embodies the tenants of judgement, authority, intelligence, and law. It is the role of the King of Swords to challenge the present with Reason, sometimes that reason is born from the lessons of the past or from battles won.

Est Sularus Oth Mithas (My Honor is my Life) is the motto by which the Knights of Solamnia live and Sturm is the epitome of this ideal. Sturm however challenges the notions of honor that the Solamnic Knights have embraced in his time. He reminds them, and us, that following our Will must be done in a way that incorporates Honor and Pride and the respect of others.

The image used card is one of the my favorites of Sturm. He stands against the cold winds of winter that seem to be a direct metaphor for the failure of the Solamnic Knights to recognize him and his code of ethics because they seem outdated. He looks out above the mountains and the trials that await him with an even stare and a silent grace, his strength held within, his determination and bold resolve symbolized by the armor of his ancestors.

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1. Waite, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot: Being Fragments of a Secret Tradition under the Veil of Divination. New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, 1959.

2. Katz, Marcus. Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot: The True Story of the World’s Most Popular Tarot: With Previously Unseen Photography & Text from Waite & Smith.

If you read this blog, you noticed that I left ADF a few years ago, chronicled here: Updates, Memberships, and Resignations. What you may not know is that I joined again in June 2015. I rejoined because I found myself still thinking and practicing as an ADFer, using the same format for my daily devotionals and seasonal rites. I lived with my decision to leave for a year, thinking through my decision,and making sure that rejoining was a positive choice.

I rejoined just after a horrible decision to consolidate the power of the organization at the ‘top’ in a vote that came from the very people the bylaw was changed to benefit. I can no longer be part of an organization that fails to live by it’s own established set of virtues. Clergy that would undermine the membership the way they did deserve to have the title of Clergy revoked. I can no longer be a member of an organization that is morally and ethically empty.

Many members have left over this decision and honestly I would have never returned had I known of this Bylaw change. The Archdruid, under whose hand this Bylaw was passed will go down as the worst AD in the organization. He splintered the organization, created a Hierarchy that mimics that of the majority religion, and caused groves and members to leave out of protest. ADF is now an organization that ignores its membership and rules with a heavy hand from the Mother Grove:

From the Sixth piece of business of the February 2015-April 2015, Mother Grove Minutes –

Point was raised that by making the proposed changes to the positions of AD and VAD, by a board of mostly clergy members, this would look like the clergy protecting themselves.

It was pointed out that adding the requirement of clergy would shrink the pool of candidates to approximately 30 people, that are their own gatekeepers to whom gets into the group without any input from the membership.

These statements point to the fact that concerns were raised by MG members and Clergy in attendance, but were summarily ignored. The change to the organization was done anyway…virtue be damned. Let’s be clear, this ruling limits the highest offices to a sliver of the actual membership. It limits the office of the AD and VAD to members who have the time to dedicate to the pseudo-Academic training of the organization, training programs with little to no oversight. And the vote came from those having the capacity and resources to attend MG activities and festivals…

It’s one thing to join an organization that already has this type of Bylaw on the books, it is another to ask members to remain following such a fundamental change to the organization they’ve been part of for 10/20/25 years, a change without vote or member consideration or notice.

If ADF’s plan was to institute a Caste System similar to that of the ancient Indo-Europeans it has succeeded, there is now an “Us” and a “Them” within its circles and groves of worship.

Pagans love their symbols. I gave a workshop not to long ago on Tarot, after the short work shop was over a participant asked what a specific symbol meant. My answer, which was not appreciated, was to say that it could mean many things, it all depends on what books you’ve read and what Religious/Magickal/Cultural system you’re working in.

Those who have been involved in Magickal/Mystical/Faith research for many years understand that symbolism is a tool, and there are no sure meanings for anything, especially symbols.

Druish Symbolism

There are really two main symbols of modern Druid practice and philosophy. The Druid Sigil and the Awen. Are there more, yes…but this is not meant to be an all inclusive historical blog post, merely my insights on the two that I use most often.

The Druid Sigil

This symbol was the invention of the Reformed Druids working from out of the Carleton College Druid group. This symbol resonants for me, and always has. I think its power is in the fact that it has no true meaning. One can contemplate its two lines and circle for years and come up with several working paradigms for reflection and utilization. One question is why this symbol came out of the mind of a NeoDruid in the first place – that in itself is a thing worth contemplating.

There are several ways that I utilize the Druid Sigil; As a symbol of meditative contemplation, a Gate symbol, a symbol of blessing, and as a symbol of consecration/hallowing/purification. When working acts of Sorcery I invoke it prior to whatever work I’m planning as a way to hallow an area and separate it from mundane space. I’m not one for outbursts or directional declaration so I simply trace the figure and extend it out into the area I’m working. A mental image of peace in all spheres of existence and all directions may follow the invocation of the symbol, but it’s not a hard and fast ritualistic affair.

Being that the symbol itself has no set meaning it is an apt sigil for the nebulousness of Druidry and it’s philosophy. I like the fact that it is probably a completely post-modern creation, that because of that it addresses the mystery of Druidry and modern pagan faith expressions. Like Druidry the Druid Sigil reminds those who consider themselves Druidish that they practice a philosophy/faith/cult that is itself a mystery demanding to be scrutinized and understood through the lens of inspiration, practiced with a hint of academic obfuscation. After all the history of modern Druidry is a complex thing, sometimes serious and at other times silly, I like the fact that the Druid Sigil is a very serious/non-serious symbol of ‘who-knows-what’.

The Awen

The Awen is symbol I don’t utilize to much, but it has it’s place in my practice. The symbol is also a modern creation, but one with an ineresting past. Essentially, according to the inspired mythos put forward by Iolo Morganwyg the Awen represents the knowledge attained by a giant (the first being) from the All/God/Creator. I won’t rehash the mythology, but it is certainly a myth that easily fits with those who study and implement Indo-European mythology and cosmology into their practices.

I see the Awen as symbol of inspired lore. Usually it is used to mean Inspiration and is intoned to reflect this idea. For me it is a reflection of the wisdom and meta-language of Rune wisdom. It’s rays coincide with the three Aetts and it’s story – that it is fundamentally a matrix of lore of all existence, and that it was given to Einigan ( a giant or Jotun) and then discovered by another traveler (Odin) after the Giants destruction. I’m not saying that the Awen is actually the Rune row, but it is a mental association that I have come to utilize and may be helpful to others that incorporate a Revival era Druid knowledge into a Heathen religious practice.

More fundamentally, for me, the Awen also represents three tenets of Druidry that I think are important: Peace, Knowledge, and Power or Truth, Illumination, and Will or The Gods, Ancestors, and Nature. These symbols are powerful and as you can see, personal.

This post will be a ramble of recent thoughts and reflections on certain practices of mine that have been deepening with time. To include such topics as Taoist Alchemy, Stadhagaldr, non-violence, meditation, and the power of the Breath…I apologize ahead of time for any possible incoherence along the way.

I am a practitioner of Stadhagaldr and that’s where this begins. After having practiced this form of Rune wisdom for several years now I’ve come to realize that it is not merely a mnemonic device for learning Runes. It has become a central part of my Pagan practice out of which everything else arises. In my head, I see it as a form of western QiGong, that branch of eastern Taoist metaphysics that brings energy into the body through movement and stances. SG accomplishes many of the same benefits for the practitioner, but also some unique ones;

Rune memorization

Rune activation in the outer world

Rune activation in the inner world

Focus

Body awareness

Breath awareness

Manipulation of self time

The True Man breathes through the heels, the common man breathes through the throat. (Tao Te Ching 61)

One of the main lessons of SG is that of breath and True Breathing. Breathing is a way to peace and stillness, to rejuvenation and insight, to calm and active intent. In Celtic lore we have the idea of the Cauldrons of Poesy, points of inspiration and power born into every individual; The Cauldron of Warming, of Motion, and Wisdom. These points are easily accessible and fill-able through manipulation of the breath, just as in the practice of chakra enhancement or balancing. In Taoist Alchemical texts we also see the Three Treasures of Essence, Breath, and Spirit, specifically Taoism links the activation of these three treasure in the human with the cultivation of Spirit, breath being the sole tool of development. The Rune Row also has it’s three’s, the entirety of all it’s mystery is found in the order and chaos of three’s..The Aett system is born out of both the physical nature of the world and also the lessons of the multiverse and it’s esoteric components. Breathing becomes a way to activate the body and it’s points of well-ness that inherently reside within. It’s not important to realize these three points, but only to understand that breathing moves and passes through the body and invigorates the self in a progressive manner.

With this in mind, I have found that SG is most powerfully integrated into the self when the breath is not constrained. This means that one should not be focused on deep breathing, or on rhythmic breathing patterns such as 4 seconds in, hold for 2, then out for another 4. It means allowing the breath and body to determine the need of breathing. SG then becomes a way for you to train yourself to be conscious of your breathing and not to hold it or force it, but instead to allow it to move through your body with cause when necessary or with unnoticed ease.

The gentle outlasts the strong.

The obscure outlasts the obvious.

The soft overcomes the hard.

The slow overcomes the fast.

Let your workings remain a mystery.

Just allow people to see the results. (Tao te Ching 36)

A lesson gained from this comes also from a previous post of mine on a dream insight I was given. ” With no enemies, we know peace.” or simply, “No Enemies Know Peace”. If we begin to cultivate peace within ourselves, accepting for ourselves a non-violent attitude toward our own selves, we can begin to overcome outside violence with others and our environments. This is predicate upon understanding that violence is not only physical. We do violence to ourselves with our own thoughts, with what we eat, with our failure to exercise and meditate. Once one begins to focus on the breath as the beginning of peace with ourselves, we begin to make peace with the world at large. When we hold our breath and do not allow it to flow our hearts beat faster, stress invades the body, anxiousness escalates. Learning to release the breath by allowing it to roll untethered is the harbinger of non-violence within and without.

hagal

Cultivating Power and Peace with Stadhagaldar

My method of SD is to practice it outside whenever possible, the connection to the land can be a vital part of developing internal power and Rune resonance.

My SG practice:

Stand with arms at your side feet hip width apart. Move your awareness into your feet and breath in and out three times with easy steady breaths. The breath should be thought of as entering the feet and rising into the belly, the exhale then moves up into the chest and out through the top of the head. We want to become the conduit between earth and sky and the breath is how we accomplish this task.

The point here is to become settled with the breath and body, take as long as you need here, evaluate your steadiness and your bodies state of calm.

A single Rune for me has two parts to it’s activation and mingling with the body. The In breath and the Out breath. When we form a Rune we become the lesson prevalent in it’s physical appearance, we are literally bringing that Rune into existence, giving it a tangible appearance and feeling in the world and energizing our selves as well.

Fehu for instance, for me, begins with arms outstretched just as it usually appears. My In breath comes both from the feet and from the lower of the two arms – the In breath meets where the staff of the Rune and the lower arm meet – the Out breath leaves the body through the upper arm and the remaining staff out through the head.

Uruz In breath through the feet and the Out breath through the arms back to the earth.

Thurisaz formed by clasping hand before the chest to create the “O”.

In breath through the feet and to the upper arm, halfway down the turn. The Out breath moves through the rest of the turn and down to the staff, then up and out through the head. For Runes that bare links and “O” shapes, I feel and envision a magnification of energy in the space.

Ansuz In breath is much like Fehu, in through the feet and the lower of the arms. Out breath travels the rest of the staff to the head and out through the upper arm back to the earth.

Raidho form has one foot extended before the other and hands clasped at the crown of the head, elbows bent in front of face. In breath is through both feet. Out breath is energized by the “O” and visualized as being kept within the torso and head.

I’m not going to go through them all, but you get the picture. Once you begin to realize that breathing = intention, and the less you try to force it the calmer and steadier, yet more energetic you’ll be you can move on to a more fluid movement with the Runes. Just remember not to hold the breath, ever, but to allow it to calmly move within the body as needed.